Jul 31, 2006

Upcoming Toys from Wheaty Wheat Studios

Wheaty Wheat Studios showed off several new prototypes during SDCC at their temporary showroom at the Five and a Dime designer toy store in downtown SD. While many were lured by the offer of free BBQ (the hamburgers were quite tasty) and the raffle for A/P editions of the Joe Ledbetter toys, the real highlight for us were the toys of course. Before we get rolling, we have to mention this was the first opportunity to buy the new Zliks by Andrew Bell. These came out quite well -- definitely worth the wait.

Several new prototypes were shown including the intense Dhall 1.0 by Cam De Leon. Cam hasn't dabbled in vinyl for awhile but this should mark a triumphant return. Brian Taylor had not one but two amazing protos on display. The eagerly anticipated Candy Killer was on display of course. However, the real surprise was DogGone -- a mounted canine skull. This one's very cool with some nice sculpt work especially on the teeth. Kathie Olivas' Violet was shown as a fully painted proto complete with striped squid legs. Dacosta Bayley's Dcto figure, his up-dated take on a traditional Japanese figure, was on display. There are about six colorways on display, all of which will have a weight in the center which will allow Dcto to maintain his balance despite human intervention. Dolly by MedFed places pharmaceutical drugs front and center in a deceptively cute package. Finally, Phallic Mammary's title piece, "The Phallic Mammary", was on display. This reminds me of a cute beholder creature. Several other figure designs were shown on the poster board so this would seem to be the first of an upcoming series.

Wheaty Wheat also showed several previously shown protos including Sket One's Buck Eye Rot, MAD's Snips (previously known as Stitches), Ink Slinger from Brandt Peters, and several of the smaller Urbanites from Chris Lee. Speaking of the Urbanites, Mellow should be dropping shortly.

Wheaty Wheat Studios had some very nice protos on display. The wait for these to drop however short or long, will be agonizing. Props to Chris Lee for some additional pics to set this off right.

Jul 25, 2006

Unkl Brand @ SDCC

Portland-based Unkl Brand had a bigger presence this year in part thanks to a booth twice as big as last year's (20' x 10' vs 10' x 10'). Several new toys were available at the show including the brand new SUG Series 2, the recently released TinPo Series 2: Fashion Victims, the new B1.2 HazMaPos and the entirely new JunPo. And those are only the toys that were available for purchase. Unklbrand also showed off the crossover MakPo which will have a HazMaPo driver. Speaking of HazMaPo's, they're getting supersized! Watch for 12" HazMaPo's soon! As a side note: fans of big toys will have alot of different choices to choose from shortly -- toys are getting bigger and bigger. Rounding out their offerings, Unkl Brand also had custom SUGs available for a very reasonable $200 as well a numerous shirts and prints. Fans dropping by the booth were in for a treat as both founders of Unkl Brand, Jason Bacon and Derek Welch were available for signings and
sketches. Props to the company for continuing to produce figures with their own unique aesthetic.

Mizna Wada @ SDCC

Mizna Wada and a wall of Hachoo Monkeys

Mizna Wada, an illustrator from Japan, can now add toy designer to her resume. Her Lollipop Girl and HACHOO Boxing Style Monkey, both part of her Mizna Lens line, were released at SDCC by Kaching Brands. She was on-hand to meet her fans and sign both of her toys. We're looking forward to seeing what's next from Mizna. Btw, who loves you Al ;-) ?

Kaching Brands @ SDCC Part 2

Newcomer Kaching Brands / Level 5 made its public debut at this year's SDCC. We ran a brief teaser about this exciting new company and now we're back to try and summarize the numerous events and wide array of toys on display at their booth. Many people kept asking "who are these guys", but the company let their artists and toys speak for themselves. There always seemed to be a crowd around the 2 story booth which often had live DJ's spinning tunes. While the swanky booth made the first impression, the artists and toys were the true draw Kaching Brands hosted siginings from several artists including Mizna Wada, Colorblok, TobyHK, Buffmonster, MAD, Sket, Joe Ledbetter, Tim Tsui and Arnie Kim.

Kaching Brands brought two asian legends -- Tim Tsui and Arnie Kim to the US for their first ever SDCC appearances. The Tim Tsui x Kaching Brands GID SDCC exclusive Bling and Penny definitely got people's attention as did the up close and personal look at Arnie Kim's amazing 1:6 scale Game of Death Bruce Lee figure which will be released in the fall from Enterbay and be distributed exclusive by Eight Eight 8 in the US and Canada.

Kaching Brands used the 'con to release their first figures including the SDCC exclusive FLCL Canti, Toby's Dumb Dummies figures including the TobyHK figure and the dog mini-figs, plus the Mizna Lens Lollipop Girl and Hachoo Monkey. And last but certainly not least of the toys available for sale was the DIY edition of the FourCube designed by TobyHK. This large figure has a cube for a head (with cones on the sides) and a cute little torso and arms. The FourCube was a hit of the show with many fans buying it to have artists doodle on as a cool souvenir. The price was right too -- around $25.

While that's an impressive set of initial releases, the sheer number of
prototypes for upcoming figures shows perhaps an even stronger coming
fall lineup. The japanese streetwear inspired Hokoten Harajuku series includes a total of 26 stylish and sassy characters relesed in four series of 6 figures each plus 2 special chase figures. From street fashion to street art -- there were three MOTUG products including Horsellington by EWOK, the NYC LASE figure designed by NYC LASE and Tristan Eaton, and an impressive wall-hanging vinyl by LASE. Another graff artist, Scarecrow, had two trippy perspective-based vinyl pieces -- think Happy Times meets graff tagger. These have one exaggerated arm/spray can on the right (front) and a much smaller arm on th left for a nice visual effect.

An early prototype of Colorblok's (Juliana Pedemonte) Mono was shown -- this large quirky figure will turn heads when released. Moving right along, Cameron Tiede's protos for four figures of a new large line were shown. It's great to see Cameron finally break in with his own vinyl.

While we had seen many of these figures prior to the show, the Nice Bunnies took us by surprise. These are fairly tall and have a block-like construction. There are three figures -- Samurai, Tagger and DJ. We'll definitely keep a watch on these for you.

Finally, Vin Teng's General Guan Yu from the upcoming Chinese Legends series was on display. This large (14 inches or so?) piece is stunning in the detail -- a very different look for vinyl.

Kaching Brands is set to become a major player in the designer toy industry with an increasing number of high-quality limited-edition vinyl figures from an ever-expanding artist roster.

Thunderdog @ SDCC

Thuderdog Studios dropped Tristan Eaton'sYour Momma figure during SDCC at a special release party held this past Saturday night @ ESA Lofts near the convention center. The SDCC exclusive black and gold Your Momma went on sale around 8 PM and Tris was there signing the figs and boxes for collectors. This edition is limited to 100 pieces and was available for $150 each. In my personal opinion, this was clearly the toy of the show. Why? Passion. This figure brings Tristan's personal art into 3d without any compromises. To put it over the top, it comes with a whole set of accessories including baseball bat with nail spike, baseball cap, hair (with "TRS" molded into the front), necklace, slippers, and of course a baby mini-fig stored in the belly. Finally, this is art that makes a statement not a neutered design run through by a committee concerned about sales and demographics.

The party was probably the best get together of the 'con: tons of
artists and industry people in a nice relaxed environment with tunes
courtesy of Snoop Dogg's DJ. We hung out upstairs (where the AC was) and everyone groaned when the AC was 'cycled' but that was a minor incovenience given the setting and the people. Fans and artists broke out sketch books and drew throughout the night. Oh before I forget, along the wall were ten designs for a series of upcoming Thundermutts from artists represented by BA including Tristan Eaton and Gary Baseman.

Jul 24, 2006

Bruce Lee Lives thru Arnie Kim

The master of Bruce Lee figures, Arnie Kim, made his first appearance at SDCC in the Kaching Brands booth. The Game of Death 12" figure is incredible. The life like face really needs to be seen in person, up close to be truly appreciated. However, the sculpting detail continues to the body -- the forearms ripple with tense muscles, the torso is detailed and chiseled. This is not the standard story of detailed face attached to a fairly generic body. No sir. This one will drop shortly from Enterbay with exclusive US and Canadian distribution by Eight Eight 8. Arnie signed the figure's brochure -- an innovative nunchucks style design with a chain connecting the two mini-booklets together -- for fans. Arnie is the clear master of the 12" form at this point -- we can't wait to see future releases.

Beyond Bruce Lee, Arnie also has an amazing Saving Private Ryan figure featuring Captain John Miller (Tom Hanks). Writer and Director Frank Darabont made a trip to the booth to check out the figure in person.

TobyHK @ SDCC

TobyHK made a splash with his first SDCC. He debuted with five toy releases for Kaching Brands at SDCC: HK FLCL Canti, Camouflage Canti, Toby SDCC exclusive Dumb Dummies figure, the dog mini-figs, and the DIY FourCube. If that wasn't enough, he has a few more Toby figure colorways on the horizon plus the newest addition to Dumb Dummies -- the monstrous boxer, Holy. Further down the line, he has his brand new Planet Rock line. Splitting his time between the Toy Tokyo and Kaching Brands booths Toby seemed like he was constantly signing one of his toys every time we turned around ;-) Definitely an artist to watch.

125 Minutes of Pus @ SDCC

Finally starting to get back into the groove post-SDCC. We're going to fill in our coverage today and tomorrow and then move on ;-) This past Thursday (the first full day), SDCC was abuzz with people talking about hand-painted Pushead pieces -- who was in line, how much they would cost etc. The 205 minutes of Pus at the Super 7 booth was one of Thursday's highlights and probably of the 'con, at least for Kaiju and Pushead fans. In case you're curious people started lining up as soon as the convention doors opened even though the event didn't start until 4:30 PM or so. Concerns that the line was blocking adjacent booths prompted Super7 to hand out numbered Pushead cards.

Pushead had a large number of hand-painted toys for the event including Kaws x Pushead companions, Skullwings, and the new Skullpirate figures. I believe the new Swamp colorway of the Skullpirate was also available. These one-of-a-kind customs were really nice. The price? Slightly over $500 for the companions. If a personal appearance by Pushead wasn't enough to amp people up, Hiddy from Secret Base was in the booth as well.

Jul 23, 2006

Bwana Spoons @SDCC

Bwana Spoons booth was filled with tons of prints of his
whimsical characters. Beside the prints, Bwana also debut his Steven
the Bat (Figbelly colorway) and Papastroyer by Gargamel. Earlier today,
he customzied two Frankenghost from Super7 and a GID Steven the Bat.
Each was hand customized with a colorful paint spray. I picked up one
of the Frankenghost and soon enough, I was all over the floor showing
off my prized possession.

Toy Qube @ SDCC

Updated (additional photos)

A highly anticipated set of new toys at this year's SDCC are Sam Fout's Project: Neptoon's characters,
Cadet Clyde Olson, Number Three, Special Agent Kakudji, Number One,
Captain Jack Maddox and Majo. Tonight they were going like hot cakes at
Toy Qube's booth. Here's a quick glance of them along with another toy Andy Mouse and Mc Donkey. Coverage will continue tomorrow with Sam scheduled to sign his new toys.

Look at what you are missing!?!?!

Here are some images from my private collection of SDCC photos I thought I would share with you. There are
lots more where these came from, some suitable for viewing, some NOT so
suitable "cough".....I will upload more as the days go by...in the mean
time...here ya go, enjoy!!!!

Voltaire @ SDCC

Voltaire made an appearance at the Toy Tokyo's booth
for a signing session of his Qees from Toy2R. The Voltaire Creator Qees
comes in two assortments, each with three colorways. The Mecha Silver
Face is the rarest of them all, with only 100 pieces out of 1000
pieces. Many of Voltaire's music and toy fans bought boxes of the blind
box qee, hoping to land their hands on a rare Voltaire Qee.

Neth Creatures @ SDCC

This is the second year the Neth Creatures made their
appearance at SDCC and they have a few new family members exclusively for SDCC. One is
flocked and is just too cute not to touch. Another one is white and there is also a silver one, both
prefect for customizing. Pick one up and ask J for his doodles of
little Neth Creatures. Think a Neth Creature doesn't fit into your
vinyl toy collection? Well, take a closer look and you might decide you
are wrong.

Jul 22, 2006

Dinner Money Drawing Auction @ SDCC

Last night some of the most well low browrecognized artists had a drawing fest and the result? 3 drawings filled with massive expressive artistic value. And you can own one or maybe all in a auction to be held today at SDCC. This is an auction to raise money for Dinner Money. Alrighty already you say, skip the hurrah and get to the details. The auction will happen all day and "maybe in the afternoon between 3-4 pm at Tim Biskup's Floppdoodle booth# 4734 or most likely Last Gasp Booth (#1614)" So if you're at SDCC, check it out. If not, enjoy the pics ;-)

MAD at the Kaching Brands Booth

After touching down in San Diego from Kansas City, MAD got rolling with a signing at the Kaching Brands booth primarily for his SDCC exclusive edition of the 12" FLCL Canti figure. While he signed 20 or so Cantis (mostly the boxes), he also was asked to do sketches and sign everything from a Munny to a well-used skate board (first time I've seen that). Enjoy the pics and the two videos ;-)

Luke Chueh and Thomas Han @ MunkyKing

Two artists signing at MunkyKing booth were Luke Chueh and Thomas Han.
Everyday, 30 odd some people get in line for a chance to own a Luke's
customized Devil in Black. Thomas' toy/print set was also a big hit
among collectors. Here are the pics of the action!!

Jul 21, 2006

Toy Tokyo @ SDCC

The store we can always depend on to find a wide range of toys is Toy Tokyo and
each year a visit to their booth is quite a treat for us, non-New
Yorkers. This year's selection is just as plentiful with a few extra
surprises. Among them were a handful of Mike Burnett's hand crafted wooden toys. I am proud to say I am a very excited owner of a Soy Tokyo. Another artist showing his SDCC exclusive monster toys is Chris Ryniak.
This is the first SDCC appearance for both artists, so swing by the
booth during their signings and show your support. Another highly
anticipated event was Thunderdog Studios' release of 50 Mutt Riot. 25 tickets were quickly passed out and the toy sold out immediately. Check out the action!!

Sam Fout @ Toy Qube

With his new toys release, Sam Fout, the creator of Project:Neptoon was signing at Toy Qube's booth.
Fans quickly stood in line for Sam to doodle on his toys, sketchbooks,
blank toys, even flyers, just so they can obtain a personalized drawing
from Sam. I can't blame them. I, myself bought my set of
Project:Neptoon toys during preview night. I can't wait to see what's
in the pipeline for Sam. More toys from Project:Neptoon, I hope!! For
more images of Sam's toys, view our previous post.

STRANGEco @ SDCC

It was like Christmas in July when I dropped by STRANGEco's booth. From Nathan's Mintreehouse Bennzi-Night Edition to James's Kevin
towering well over 20", be prepared to drop some serious money!! And by
the way, SDCC exclusive Mozzaerlla sold out during the first day, but
there are some offerings of other equally exciting toys, and they will
NOT lasts...so run don't walk!!

DKE Toys @ SDCC

DKE Toys at SDCC is the booth you want to be at if you are
looking for an assortment of toys and to get a glimpse of prototypes of
new toys in the making. Don't believe me? Just take a look for
yourself.

Max Toy and Gargamel @ SDCC

Looking for Japanese vinyl fix at SDCC? Make sure you drop by Max Toy Company @ booth #5323, which is showing their newest toys in the pipeline. Along with the ride are the folks from Gargamel and with them is a huge selection of their exclusive line of Kaiju toys. Among their offerings is Tim Biskup's version of the Zagaron.
This giant piece is a masterpiece, with a prefect paint job and
towering at 9", it is not to be missed. Limited at 80 pieces and with a
impressive signed & numbered letterpress printed header card, it is
easy to see why this is a must have. Regardless whether if you are into
Kaiju toys or not, this is a rare opportunity to get up close and
personal with our Japanese friends. So make sure you swing by the
booth!!

Ugly Dolls @ SDCC

The Uglys are here, the Uglys are here!! Cans of Ugly Dolls made their presence felt at SDCC with the signing of David Horvath and Sun-Min Kim.
Here's a quick glance of what went down at this booth of Uglys!! Wanna
get your hands on one or two, come on by to booth #4830 and catch David
and Sun-Min everyday from 3-4 signing their cuddly creatures.

Jul 20, 2006

MAD @ SDCC '06

MAD's got a bunch of sweet stuff lined up for Comic-Con. First up are products featuring one of his newer characters, Modern Hero: shirts ($20), 6" x 9" prints ($25), stickers ($1). He will also have 2 button packs one with 5 buttons ($5) and one with 3 ($3). Gotta have it all ? It's yours for $45. Where do you get this stuff? MAD will be selling these items at the following signings:

Live From SDCC - Day 2

Following Wednesday's preview night, this is the first full day of Comic-Con. Today we bring you the second of 5 daily giveaways Live From SDCC. Enter now to win three signed 12" FLCL Canti Figures from Kaching Brands: Toy Tokyo Camouflage Exclusive, Toby HK Asia version and MAD SDCC Exclusive. 3 signed figures to one winner - a value of $300! The first two are available at the Toy Tokyo booth (5325) and the MAD SDCC exclusive is available at Kaching Brands (4521).

So how do you win? Enter by sending an email with your real name and mailing address to [email protected]. Rest assured that we will not use your information for any purpose other than to send you the prize should you win -- contest entries will be deleted by August 1st. Only one entry per person, duplicate entries will result in disqualification. The deadline to enter is 9:00 PM Pacific time tonight (Wednesday, July 19th). Winner will be chosen by random draw using a random number generator (random.org). The winner will be announced tomorrow morning. Each of the 5 daily contests during SDCC is separate -- you must enter each one on the day it is announced in order to have a chance to win that day's prize. That's about it! Good luck!

Rules1. Enter by sending email to [email protected] with your real name and mailing address.2. Only one entry per person -- duplicate entries subject to disqualification.3. Deadline to enter is 9:00 PM pacific on Thursday July 20th, 2006.4. Winner will be chosen by random draw (using random.org).

Live From SDCC Day 1 Winner

Stephen G. of Monterey Park, California is the lucky
new owner of Tim Tsui's SDCC exclusive GID Penny and Bling from Kaching
Brands. Congrats! Winner will be contacted shortly regarding details. Thanks to
the hundreds who entered. Missed out? No worries, you still can get
your hands on these awesome toys at Kaching Brands booth (4521) during SDCC.
And remember there are still 4 more days of contests, so don't
despair!!